Nothing beats a team, believes Mikko Martikainen, an expert in teamwork and creative collaboration. Now he tells us what unites successful teams.
Do you remember how the Finnish Lions rose from underdog to challenger and all the way to champions at the 2019 IIHF World Championship?
The Finnish team didn’t have the biggest names in the game, while the others had a long list of stars. Despite this, the team’s play looked controlled, with active attacking and tenacious defending in just the right places.
The reason for the unlikely championship was ultimately very clear to those who followed the competition – effective team play.
Individuals dared to solve problems where necessary, but every victory was built on collaboration.
The best results are achieved as a team
I’m not a hockey coach, but I can explain the importance of team play from a working life perspective.
I have witnessed the most significant results and breakthroughs in my working life when a work group has acted in a certain way and with a certain spirit – you could say as a team.
Contrary to what you sometimes hear, team play is not just about sacrifice or serving others.
On the contrary, everyone on the team plays boldly with their own strengths. Team play at its best is about rotation, trust, and series of successes.
I listed 5 significant factors that can help you build a functioning team in working life:
1. A shared dream unites and increases the drive to achieve it
A strong team has a shared dream or larger vision of the desired outcome – what we want to achieve. This goal stirs emotions in the team and brings endurance and energy to the work as it progresses.
2. Clear roles enable creative teamwork
It is a good idea for the workgroup to agree on roles so that everyone knows the importance of their work in relation to the whole. When roles are clear, teamwork can be creative and seamless regardless of the challenges.
3. A strong team is built from self-aware individuals
The team needs strong and competent individuals who, when necessary, can take on more of a role and lead things in the right direction, while also seeing where they can encourage another team member to get the job done.
Do you know your own strengths and your importance to the team? And does the entire team recognize the different strengths of its members?
Is there a monster living inside your team that could strike? How could you as a team help that happen?
4. Emotions at play and growth from shared experiences
We learn from losses and celebrate victories together. In a strong team, we notice each other’s contribution to the final result and share all emotions together.
This makes the team’s effort and pursuit of the goal feel significant and far from everyday drudgery. A team that grows from every experience is a team that perseveres to the end.
5. A good team gets its strength from its fans
On the pitch, the so-called sixth player, the fans, can greatly influence the atmosphere of the game and the energy of the team. In professional life, fans can also be seen in colleagues, partners, customers, experts, the media and the general public.
Often, a team’s mission involves multiple perspectives, and the question is how well the team can engage potential supporters. In a networked world, this is an important skill that will contribute to your team’s success.
Every team is unique
Finally, it’s important to remember that every team is different – so you shouldn’t force your team into a certain mold.
Just as we are different individuals as humans, groups and their dynamics are also unique.
What works for one team may not necessarily build another. That’s why it’s worth paying attention to the principles of team play and being sensitive to the team’s atmosphere and feedback.
